Custom earphone with dome in the canal

ABSTRACT

An in-ear earphone featuring a housing, an audio output device carried in the housing, a hollow elongated stem formed integral with the housing and a toroidal-shaped ear dome. The stem having a first output end extending therefrom and being audibly coupled at a second input end to the output device. The ear dome integrally formed on the output end of the stem.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/339,074 filed Jul. 23, 2014 which claims the benefit of U.S.Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 61/857,303 filed Jul. 23, 2013,the entirety of these applications is hereby incorporated by referenceas if fully set forth herein.

FIELD

The subject invention pertains generally to earphones and moreparticularly to an in-ear earphone having an integral custom molded stemand ear dome member.

BACKGROUND

Traditional sound producing (hearing aids and earphones) and hearingprotective (earplugs and musician plugs) devices generally require: (1)that the device provides a good acoustic seal which is important fordevice performance and sound quality, and (2) that the device fitscomfortably in the ear. Existing methods take many forms with one beingthe focus of the discussion here—the use of ear domes or ear tips thatfit inside the ear and connect to an external electronic device. Thismethod of adapting sound producing devices to the ear through the use ofpre-molded ear domes or ear tips is common. This concept is common toeverything from hearing aids to off-the-shelf earplugs to common mp3 earbuds.

It is generally known to use digital processes to manufacture hearingdevices. These devices typically include a molded canal portion having acustom shape that conforms to the contours of the ear canal. Suchdevices, however, are typically rigid and are unable to extend to asufficient depth within the canal to create a good acoustic seal.Accordingly, such devices can be uncomfortable to wear, provide inferiorperformance and can become easily dislodged or break when the wearermoves his head or jaw.

As an alternate to utilizing a molded canal member, hearing devices caninstead incorporate an ear dome attached or secured to an audio outputdevice. In such devices, the ear dome is traditionally a separate unitfrom the speaker or sound producing device. Thus, it is not connected onthe molecular level to the main housing of the earphone and has thedisadvantage of requiring mechanical coupling, adhesives or both. The“coupled” dome design is an older concept in that it does not takeadvantage of the current digital nature of earmold production.Accordingly, dome designs used in known hearing devices are not custommolded to conform to the actual size or shape of the ear.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is an anterior elevation view of a three dimensional impressionof an ear according to embodiments set forth herein.

FIG. 1B is a posterior elevation view of the three dimensionalimpression illustrated in FIG. 1A.

FIG. 2A is an elevation view of an ear dome and stem according toembodiments presented herein.

FIG. 2B is a cross-section elevation view of the ear dome and stemillustrated in FIG. 2A.

FIG. 3A is a perspective view of a toroidal-shaped element that can beplaced around the stem and under the dome according to embodiments ofthe subject invention.

FIG. 3B is a cut away perspective view of the toroidal-shaped elementillustrated in FIG. 3A.

FIG. 4 is a cross-section elevation view of an ear dome with a toroidalelement placed under the dome portion.

FIG. 5A is a front elevation view of an earphone device partiallyinserted into an ear canal according to embodiments presented herein.

FIG. 5B is a side elevation view of the earphone device partiallyinserted into an ear canal illustrated in FIG. 5A.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the interior components of an earphoneaccording to embodiments presented herein.

FIG. 7A is an anterior perspective view of an earphone according toembodiments presented herein.

FIG. 7B is a partial cutaway of an anterior perspective view of theearphone illustrated in FIG. 7A.

FIG. 8A is a bottom (inferior) view of the earphone illustrated in FIGS.7A-B.

FIG. 8B is a cross section bottom (inferior) view of the earphoneillustrated in FIGS. 7A-B and 8A.

FIG. 9A is a bottom perspective view of the earphone illustrated inFIGS. 7A-B and 8A-B.

FIG. 9B is a cross section bottom perspective view of the earphoneillustrated in FIGS. 7A-B and 8A-B and 9A.

FIG. 10A is a first perspective view of an injection mold that can beused to make an earmold according to embodiments presented herein.

FIG. 10B is a second perspective view of the injection mold illustratedin FIG. 10A.

FIG. 11A is a cross section perspective view of the injection moldillustrated in FIGS. 10A-B.

FIG. 11B is a partial cutaway perspective view of the injection moldillustrated in FIGS. 10A-B and 11A.

FIG. 12A is a partial cutaway perspective view of an earmold beingfabricated in an injection mold according to embodiments presentedherein.

FIG. 12B is a side elevation view of an earphone after being removedfrom an injection mold according to embodiments presented herein.

FIG. 13A is a cross section perspective view of the earphone illustratedin FIG. 12B with interior components removed.

FIG. 13B is a cross section side elevation view of an earphone with theinterior components in place.

FIG. 14 is a bottom perspective view of an earphone having a cover platelocking device according to embodiments presented herein.

FIG. 15 is a cross section side elevation view of an earphone having adome and foam filled cavity according to embodiments presented herein.

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of an injection mold having two injectionports.

FIG. 17A is a first perspective view of a cover plate according toembodiments presented herein.

FIG. 17B is a second perspective view of the cover plate illustrated inFIG. 17A.

FIG. 17C is a third perspective view of the cover plate illustrated inFIGS. 17A-17B.

FIG. 18A is a first perspective view of an earphone with the cover plateillustrated in FIGS. 17A-17C attached thereto.

FIG. 18B is an end elevation view of the earphone illustrated in FIG.18A.

FIG. 18C is a second perspective view of the earphone illustrated inFIGS. 18A-B.

FIG. 19A is a first partial cutaway perspective view of an earphonehaving interior components inside the molded body.

FIG. 19B is a second partial cutaway perspective view of the earphoneillustrated in FIG. 19A.

FIG. 20 is a flowchart illustrating a method of producing an earphoneaccording to embodiments presented herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

While this invention is susceptible of embodiment in many differentforms, there are shown in the drawings and will be described herein indetail specific embodiments thereof with the understanding that thepresent disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of theprinciples of the invention and is not intended to limit the inventionto the specific embodiments illustrated.

As presented herein, embodiments of the subject invention are directedto an in-ear earphone having a custom molded housing integrally formedwith a hollow stem and ear dome. In use, the housing portion can belocated on the outer portion of the ear and can feature an audio outputdevice and associated circuitry. The stem and ear dome can integrallyextend from the housing into a portion of the ear canal. The earphonecan be customized to fit securely within the concha portion and outercanal portion of a wearer's ear. The dome portion can be shaped as fullycustom or a semi-custom. In addition, the underside of the dome can befitted with toroid-shaped memory foam element of a size adjustable tothe person's ear.

With reference now to the figures, FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrate a threedimensional impression 10 of an ear according to embodiments set forthherein. The impression 10 can be created from a digital scan file of anear or by an ear impression. When created by an ear impression process,the impression 10 can be acquired through either a direct material castof the ear cavity and shape which is then placed in a digital scanner.Alternatively, where a scanned image of the ear can be acquired by adirect scan of the ear by a hand held digital scanner.

As described more fully below, the impression 10 of the ear can beloaded into a software program specifically designed for creatingearmold products from digitally scanned images—the process is calledeSculpting. The process of eSculpting will alter the shape of theoriginal image to adapt it to the shape of a final product. It is duringthis process that the predesigned features of the ear dome, the interiorcavity placeholders and molding features are added to the impression 10.

FIGS. 2A and 2B illustrate a representative ear dome and stem member 12according to embodiments presented herein. The dome and stem 12 can havea dome-shaped portion 14 and a hollow, elongated stem portion 16extending therefrom. The stem portion 16 can have an interior channel 17having an input end 18 and an output end 20. The dome portion 14 can beintegrally formed on the output end of the stem portion 16. The dome andstem design 12 can be comprised of a synthetic formable material, suchas for example silicone, and can be provided in different sizes andshapes without departing from the novel scope of the subject invention.For example, the diameter of the dome portion 14 or stem portion 16 canvary as can the length of the stem portion 16 in order to accommodatethe shape, contours and depth of an individual's ear.

According to embodiments set forth herein, the integral stem and domedesign 12 can either be produced from pre-designed shapes chosen to bestmatch a particular wearer's ear, or can alternatively be made with acustom-designed dome shape 14 that can be individually fashioned totightly conform to the contours of the specific wearer's ear. Thus, theearphone can be produced with a “semi-custom” dome made in a variety ofsizes in order to have one of the sizes closely match thecross-sectional dimensions of the wearer's ear—with some enlargement toprovide seal. Alternatively, the stem and dome can be fabricated fromthe actual shape of the person's ear in order to closely conform to theear contours (but again, slightly enlarged to provide a good seal).

If the chosen ear dome is a pre-designed ear dome 14, the canal majorand minor axes can be measured and a predesigned dome can be chosen froma predetermined set of domes with different major and minormeasurements. If a custom ear dome 14 is chosen, it can be created usinga Boolean subtraction of an ear impression 10. According to embodimentspresented herein, the integral dome and stem 12 have a number ofbenefits including comfort, flexibility, good acoustic seal andocclusion reduction.

FIGS. 3A and 3B illustrate a deformable element 22 that can be placedaround the stem 16 and under the dome portion 14. The element 22 can beannular or toroidally-shaped with a hollow interior 24 and can becomprised of foam or polyurethane material. Thus, the element 22 can beeasily molded, manipulated and compressed to fit securely underneath thedome portion 14 and around the stem portion 16 of the earphone. Onceinserted under the dome 14, at least a portion of the element 22 canrecover or expand to fill the interior portion of the dome 14. When theelement 22 is added to a dome and stem member 12, it can providepositive force to the outside of the ear which achieves better acousticseal than off-the-shelf earplugs.

FIG. 4 illustrates a cross-section view of a dome and stem 12 with theelement 22 inserted under the dome 14 and around the stem 16. In thisarrangement, the silicone material of the dome and stem 12 can be incontact with the ear surface while the element 22 acts as a lightpositive pressure sealing device that keeps the silicone in contact withthe inner ear skin surface and provides some support for the system whenit is inserted in to the ear.

FIGS. 5A and 5B illustrate a first earphone 24 according to embodimentspresented herein with the stem and dome 12 partially extending into anear canal E. The earphone 24 can generally include a dome and stem 12integrally formed to a housing 26 for carrying an audio input device(not shown). The input end 18 of the stem portion 16 can be integrallyformed to the housing 26. The exterior of the earphone 24 can becomprised of a single piece of material, such as for example, siliconeand can be provided in a variety of predetermined shapes or sizes or canalternatively be custom shaped/sized to fit securely in a wearer's ear.It will be recognized that the integral configuration provides a singlepiece design that can be more reliable over devices made from separatecomponents.

The Stem and Dome combination set forth herein can be incorporated ontothe custom portion of an earmold using the available sculpting software.Although ear domes in general are not new to in-ear products,embodiments set forth herein provide a greater variety and range ofdomes, a more personalized selection and creation process for the domebased on the actual dimensions of the ear, and the merging of the Stemand Dome design to the custom portion of the design to create a seamlesssystem combining a custom earmold with an in-ear dome.

FIG. 6 illustrates interior components 28 of the earphone 24. Asdescribed more fully herein, the interior components 28 can be locatedwithin interior cavities within the housing 26. The interior componentscan include an elongated sound bore interior object 30, a speakerhousing interior cavity object 32 and a wire housing interior cavityobject 34. As illustrated in FIG. 6, the speaker housing 32 can connectthe wire housing 34 to a first end of the sound bore 30.

An additional benefit is the core that forms the interior cavities usedto house the electronic components. In particular, the core design caninclude a number of novel features, including: 1) a tapered sound bore;2) a speaker housing area; and 3) a wire storage area. As set forthherein, the tapered sound bore can be used to accentuate the highfrequency range of sound; in addition the tapered shape can increase thecompliance of the dome and stem to improve comfort. The speaker housingarea can be configured to firmly hold an audio output device or speakerin position. The wire storage area can create room for the insertion ofa pre-wired electrical assembly and further provide for the strainrelief of the electrical cord. In all cases, the placement of thesebenefits can be fully customized depending on the shape of the person'sear.

FIGS. 7A and 7B illustrate alternate views of the earphone 24illustrated in FIGS. 5A-5B. As shown in these figures, a wire way cover36 can be placed over the wire housing interior object 32. In addition,the wire housing cavity 34 can extend through the speaker housing cavity32 into the sound bore 30. The stem and dome member 12 can be integrallycoupled to the housing 26 such that the interior channel 17 of the stemportion 16 is aligned with the sound bore 30 to create a continuouschannel. As set forth more fully herein, the housing 26 can be comprisedof a silicon mold 38 adapted from the initial ear impression 10.

FIGS. 8A and 8B illustrate alternate views of the earphone 24. Theearphone 24 can feature a wire way cover 36 located over the interiorwire housing object. FIGS. 8A and 8B additionally illustrate that theearphone 24 can include a wire way path and relief vent 40. The wire waypath and vent 40 can extend into the wire housing cavity 34 and besurrounded by the silicon mold 38 and the wire way cover 36.

FIGS. 9A-9B illustrate alternate external and partial cross-sectionviews of the earphone 24. As shown in FIGS. 9A-9B, the wire housingcavity 34 can separately extend into the wire way path and reliefpressure vent 40 and also into the speaker housing cavity 32. Theinterior cavities can be formed into the silicon mold 38. Additionally,the wire way cover 36 can enclose the wire way path and pressure vent40. FIGS. 9A and 9B additionally illustrate the integral configurationof the housing 36 and the dome and stem 12 which can be formed from thesame silicon mold 38.

FIGS. 10A-10B, 11A-11B and 16 illustrate an injection mold 42 that canbe used to create the silicone earmold. The injection mold 42 can be asingle use device or can alternatively be reused to produce a pluralityof earmold devices. The injection mold 42 can be created on a threedimensional printer and can include an exterior housing or casing 46, ahollow interior cavity 48 and a plurality of raised mold vents 44accessing the central cavity 48 of the mold 42. The interior cavity 48of the mold 42 can be sized and shaped to produce a correspondinglysized earmold or earphone device according to embodiments presentedherein. In particular, the interior cavity 48 can feature stem and domefeatures 50, a sound bore feature 52 and a wire housing feature 54 forforming the respective portions of the earmold or earphone.

As shown in FIG. 16, the mold 42 can additionally feature injectionports 70, 72 to allow the creation of a composite mold from twodifferent materials such as, for example, soft and hard, or differentcolors. In use, injection port 70 can allow the filling of the mold 38with one material and injection port 72 can allow the filling of onlythe dome and stem portion 12 with a different material.

FIG. 12A illustrates a partial cutaway of a mold 38 being fabricated inthe injection mold 42 during according to embodiments presented hereinand FIG. 12B illustrates the final earphone product 24 with the mold 38featuring a housing 26 integrally formed with the dome and stem member12.

FIGS. 13A and 13B illustrate additional cross-sectional views of theinterior of an earmold or earphone 24 according to embodiments presentedherein. According to such embodiments, the earmold 24 can be comprisedof a mold 38 including a dome and stem 12 integrally formed to thehousing 26. Within the housing 26, the earphone 24 can include a cordhousing cavity 34 for accommodating wiring 56 connecting the audiooutput device 54. The audio output device 54 can be located within thespeaker component cavity 58. The earmold 24 can additionally include asound pressure relief vent 40 and wire way path 60. A cord 62 can extendthrough the wire way path 60 and relief vent 40 into the cord housingcavity 34. FIG. 14 illustrates an alternate exterior view of the earmold24 which includes a cover plate locking feature 64 extending along thehousing 26.

Another benefit to the subject earphone is the electrical cord exitconfiguration. Specifically, the exit cord configuration can provide astrain relieved exit channel for the electrical cord and a pressure ventbeneath the cord that can enhance the bass sound performance of theproduct. These features, individually and together provide an improvedearphone product over known hearing aid devices. In addition, a furtherbenefit of this configuration is that the strain relief cord is builtinto the custom components which can reduce the size and cost of theassembly.

FIG. 15 illustrates an earmold 65 for use as a hearing protectiondevice. As shown in FIG. 15, instead of including interior soundproducing and electrical components, the interior of the housing cancontain a sound dampening filling 66. The sound dampening filling 66 canbe comprised of as gels, foams, liquids or air and can further block ordiminish sounds from reaching the eardrum. It will be recognized thatthe benefit of such configuration is that the sound dampening isimproved and therefore the ear protection device functions better thanone made from a single material.

FIGS. 17A-17C and 18A-B illustrate the cover plate 74 that can besecured to the earmold according to embodiments presented herein. Asshown in FIGS. 7B and 7C, the cover plate 74 can include a cover platewire way 76, strain relief feature 78 and locking pins 80.

The cover plate 74 provides a protective cover for the interior cavitiesof the silicone mold and can further act as a part of the electricalhousing in that the earphone wires are routed through the cover plate.In addition, in some cases, electrical plugs or other components canalso be housed inside the cover plate 74. The cover plate 74 can furtherprovide a surface for labeling. The cover plate 74 can be a customdesigned piece in that the outer shape, the wire way features orcomponent housings and the mechanical connection features are always inunique locations depending on the shape and size of the person's ear.FIGS. 18A-18C and 19A-19B illustrate the cover plate 74 mechanicallysecured to the silicone mold 38 of the earphone 24 with a plurality oflocking pins 80. FIGS. 19A-19B additionally illustrate cross-sectionalviews of the device showing the location of the cover plate wire way 76and strain relief feature 78 when the cover plate 74 is secured to themold 38.

Embodiments presented herein can rely on computer-readable instructionsor software to define the unique shape of the cover plate based on theshape of the silicone mold. The software can also be used to addfeatures to the cover plate which includes Boolean merges andsubtractions. The cover plate can then be printed in Acrylic plastic ina 3D printer. Once printed the cover plate can be included in theelectrical assembly process if components are placed or routed throughthe cavities in the cover plate. The cover plate can also be affixed tothe silicone mold using barbed pins located on the cover plate that snapinto corresponding cavities in the silicone mold.

The earphone, earmold and/or hearing protection device presented hereinhas a number of benefits over known earphone designs. In particular, thesubject device can: (1) achieve a better acoustic seal than atight-fitting, full custom canal devices due to the improved compliance(softness) and flexibility of the dome and foam material; (2) provideimproved comfort as compared to full canal fit devices; (3) require lessmaterial and are generally less expensive to produce; (3) extend deeperinto the ear canal to reduce the occlusion effect; (4) require lessrepair or replacement by reducing the possibility of leaks or weak seamsbetween coupled components or by inadequate coupling machines, and (5)achieve lower noise levels associated with jaw movement and leaks whichare commonly associated with the continual loss and regain of anacoustic seal experienced using a tight fitting, filled canal.

FIG. 20 is a flowchart illustrating a method 100 of creating an earmoldor earphone according to embodiments set forth herein. The earphone canbe made by utilizing a combination of new design elements andfabrication methods that build on advances in custom earmold and hearingaid shell design and fabrication. For example, an impression of aperson's ear can be created 102 through the injection of silicone intothe ear and ear canal, or the outer ear and canal entry areas can bescanned with a laser or white light scanner. Once the impression isobtained, an electronic device having a programmable processor andcomputer-readable instructions or software, such as for examplecomputer-aided design (CAD) software, can process the scanned image tofashion or sculpt 104 the shape of the product. Predesigned interior andexterior features can also be added 106 to the mold and merged into thedigital image of the mold.

An injection mold can be created 108 from a model of the mold. Thecreation of the mold can be accomplished by an electronic processingdevice that can execute computer-readable instructions or software, suchas for example computer-aided design (CAD) software. A cover platehaving a custom shape and design features located in custom positionscan also be designed 110 by the electronic device and executablesoftware.

A digital file of the final product design can then be output to a threedimensional rapid prototyping/manufacturing machine, such as a 3Dprinter where an injection mold can be created 114 and injected 118 withsilicone or other elastomeric material. The design for the custom coverplate can also be output to a 3D printer and created 116 by the 3Dprinter.

Once the silicone cures, the outer “shell” of the mold can be crackedopen and removed 120 to reveal the silicone mold on the inside. Thesilicone mold can then be cut open 122 to allow the removal of internalcore pieces which leave behind cavities in the mold that will houseelectronic components such as speakers, amplifiers, circuit boards,wires, switches, etc. This process can be carried out by utilizing theelastomeric nature of the silicone material used to form the device. Inparticular, the silicone material can be stretched to allow access andremoval of the interior core pieces even when extensive undercuts arepresent. This can also be done by making an incision into the silicone.For instance, an indent on the core piece can be formed to allow a toolto hook into the core piece in order to simply removal.

The silicone can be also stretched to allow the large core pieces topass through the incision without further tearing or damage to theearmold. Since the elastomeric nature of the silicon material generallyhas a fast memory, the earmold can rapidly return to its original shapeand form leaving no gap in the area of the incision. The incision canalso be sealed after assembly with a silicone adhesive if required.

After the core pieces are removed an electrical assembly can beassembled and inserted 124 into the elastomeric mold as in the case ofan active device like earphones and hearing aids. Alternatively, thecavities can be filled with a sound dampening material such as gels,foams, liquids or air in the case of hearing protection devices.

The custom cover plate can be assembled and secured to the silicon mold126 and the electrical components. The toroidal-shaped foam element canalso be stretched 128 over the dome and stem member on the silicon moldand the dome can be folded 130 over the foam element to complete theassembly of the dome and stem member.

From the foregoing, it will be observed that numerous variations andmodifications may be effected without departing from the spirit andscope of the invention. It is to be understood that no limitation withrespect to the specific apparatus illustrated herein is intended orshould be inferred. It is, of course, intended to cover by the appendedclaims all such modifications as fall within the scope of the claims.

Further, logic flows depicted in the figures do not require theparticular order shown, or sequential order, to achieve desirableresults. Other steps may be provided, or steps may be eliminated, fromthe described flows, and other components may be added to, or removedfrom the described embodiments.

What is claimed is:
 1. A custom ear adaptor system used for soundamplification and processing and made to fit in a user's ear,comprising: an elastomeric custom body portion having a plurality ofcavities, the plurality of cavities shaped to house an audio outputdevice, cord components and a device for modifying audio signals; anelastomeric stem and dome member integrally formed with the elastomericbody portion as a single monolithic unit, the member having an elongatedstem portion and a dome portion, the stem extending from the bodyportion and having opposing first and second ends, the first endintegrally formed to the body portion and the dome portion integrallyformed around the second end of the stem, the stem having asubstantially hollow interior channel along its length between the firstand second ends, the dome having a substantially flat top surface and arounded peripheral side edge curving downwardly from the top over atleast a portion of a length of the stem to define a space between anexterior of the stem and an underside of the dome; a toroidally-shapeddeformable foam element partially filling the space between the exteriorof the stem and the underside of the dome, surrounding a portion of theexterior of the stem, and contacting the rounded peripheral side edge ofthe dome; and the hollow interior channel within the stem having atapered diameter along its length where the interior channel has adiameter at the second end greater than a diameter at the first end,wherein the toroidally-shaped deformable foam element provides apositive pressure to the underside of the dome to maintain contactbetween the dome and a portion of skin within the user's ear.
 2. Thecustom ear adaptor system as in claim 1 where the interior channel ofthe stem partially defines a tapered sound bore integrally extendingfrom an interior channel in the body portion, the sound bore extendingbetween the second end of the stem and a cavity in the body portionhousing the audio output device.
 3. The custom ear adaptor system as inclaim 1 where the body portion comprises a strain relieved exit channel.4. The custom ear adaptor system as in claim 1 where the body portiondefines a pressure vent.
 5. The custom ear adaptor system as in claim 1where the body portion is deformable to permit extraction of voiddefining elements for interior components.
 6. The custom ear adaptorsystem as in claim 1 where the dome is selected form one of a pluralityof predetermined dome shapes, or a customized dome shape.
 7. The customear adaptor system as in claim 1 which includes a cover panel releasablysecured to the body portion.
 8. The custom ear adaptor system as inclaim 7 where the cover panel covers at least one of the plurality ofcavities when secured to the body portion, the cover panel having afirst side having a plurality of spaced apart locking pins extendingtherefrom, the locking pins being insertable into corresponding recessesin an exterior of the body portion, the locking pins having a barbed endportion suitable for releasably snapping into place within the recesses.9. The custom ear adaptor system as in claim 2 where the interiorchannel in the body portion has a tapered diameter along its lengthwhere the interior channel in the body portion has a diameter adjacentthe second end of the stem that is greater than a diameter adjacent thecavity for housing the audio output device.
 10. An elastomeric in-earmold comprising: an elastomeric custom body portion having a pluralityof cavities, the plurality of cavities shaped to house an audio outputdevice, cord components and a device for modifying audio signals; anelastomeric stem and dome member integrally formed with the elastomericbody portion as a single monolithic unit, the member having an elongatedstem portion and a mushroom-shaped dome portion, the stem extending fromthe body portion and having opposing first and second ends, the firstend integrally formed to the body portion and the dome portionintegrally formed around the second end of the stem, the stem having asubstantially hollow interior channel along its length between the firstand second ends, the dome having a substantially flat top surface and arounded peripheral side edge curving downwardly from the top over aleast a portion of a length of the stem to define a space between anexterior of the stem and an underside of the dome, the body portion,stem and dome being a single integral unit; a toroidally-shapeddeformable foam element partially filling the space between the exteriorof the stem and the underside of the dome, surrounding a portion of theexterior of the stem, and contacting the rounded peripheral side edge ofthe dome; the hollow interior channel within the stem having a tapereddiameter along its length where the interior channel has a diameter atthe second end greater than a diameter at the first end; and a coverpanel releasably secured to the body portion, the cover panel coveringat least one of the plurality of cavities when secured to the bodyportion, the cover panel having a first side having a plurality ofspaced apart locking pins extending therefrom, the locking pins beinginsertable into corresponding recesses in an exterior of the bodyportion, the locking pins having a barbed end portion suitable forreleasably snapping into place within the recesses, wherein thetoroidally-shaped deformable foam element provides a positive pressureto the underside of the dome portion to maintain contact between thedome and a portion of skin within the user's ear.
 11. The elastomericin-ear mold as in claim 10 where the interior channel of the stempartially defines a tapered sound bore integrally extending from aninterior channel in the body portion, the sound bore extending betweenthe second end of the stem and a cavity in the body portion housing theaudio output device.
 12. The elastomeric in-ear mold as in claim 10where the body portion comprises a strain relieved exit channel.
 13. Theelastomeric in-ear mold as in claim 10 where the body portion defines apressure vent.
 14. The elastomeric in-ear mold as in claim 10 where thebody portion is deformable to permit extraction of void definingelements for interior components.
 15. The elastomeric in-ear mold as inclaim 10 where the dome is selected from one of a plurality ofpredetermined dome shapes, or a customized dome shape.
 16. Theelastomeric in-ear mold as in claim 11 where the interior channel in thebody portion has a tapered diameter along its length where the interiorchannel in the body portion has a diameter adjacent the second end ofthe stem that is greater than a diameter adjacent the cavity for housingthe audio output device.
 17. An elastomeric in-ear mold comprising: anelastomeric stem and dome member integrally formed with an elastomericcustom body portion as a single monolithic unit, the elastomeric custombody portion having a plurality of cavities shaped to house an audiooutput device, cord components, a device for modifying audio signals; atoroidally-shaped deformable foam element partially filling a spacebetween an exterior of the stem and an underside of the dome,surrounding a portion of the exterior of the stem, and contacting arounded peripheral side edge of the dome; and a cover panel releasablysecured to the body portion, the cover panel covering at least one ofthe plurality of cavities when secured to the body portion, the coverpanel having a first side having a plurality of spaced apart lockingpins or a flange extending therefrom, the locking pins or flange beinginsertable into corresponding recesses in an exterior of the bodyportion, the locking pins having a barbed end portion suitable forreleasably snapping into place within the recesses or the flange havinga shaped portion suitable for releasably snapping into place within therecesses, wherein the toroidally-shaped deformable foam element providesa positive pressure to the underside of the dome portion to maintaincontact between the dome and a portion of skin within the user's ear.18. The elastomeric in-ear mold as in claim 17 where the body portioncomprises a strain relieved exit channel.
 19. The elastomeric in-earmold as in claim 17 where the body portion is deformable to permitextraction of void defining elements for interior components.
 20. Theelastomeric in-ear mold as in claim 17 which includes a cover panelreleasably secured to the body portion.
 21. The elastomeric in-ear moldas in claim 17 where the cover panel covers at least one of theplurality of cavities when secured to the body portion, the cover panelhaving a plurality of spaced apart locking pins or a flange extendingtherefrom, the locking pins or flange being insertable intocorresponding recesses in an exterior of the body portion, the lockingpins having a barbed end portion suitable for releasably snapping intoplace within the recesses or the flange having a shaped portion suitablefor releasably snapping into place within the recesses.